A ceremony in Greenpoint marked the 108th anniversary of Poland’s regaining independence. The commemoration was held Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Polish National Home “Warsaw.”
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The Independence Day observance was organized by the Polish National Home “Warsaw” in cooperation with Post 123 of the Polish Army Veterans Association of America (SWAP) and the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP). Attendees included Greenpoint residents, veterans, representatives of the ZHP, the Maritime League and various Polish-American organizations and institutions. Honored guests included Consul General Mateusz Sakowicz; Cmdr. Albert Proszowski, senior military adviser at the Permanent Mission of Poland to the United Nations; Dr. Iwona Korga, Grand Marshal of the 2026 Pulaski Parade; and SWAP board members: Adjutant General Marek Chrościelewski, Finance Adjutant Zygmunt Bielski, Archivist Dr. Teofil Lachowicz and SWAP Foundation Director Jerzy Leśniak. The ceremony featured a performance by the Angelus choir, directed by Nicholas Kaponyas, and dancers from the Polish American Folk Dance Company, as well as a show prepared by the scouts.
The ceremony was led by Marek Chrościelewski, president of the Polish National Home “Warsaw,” who welcomed participants and introduced the honored guests. After the Angelus choir sang the national anthems, a series of speeches began. The first to speak was Rev. Grzegorz Markulak, pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in Greenpoint, who delivered the invocation and led a prayer. He also stressed that the gathering was organized, among other reasons, to thank God for the independence that Poland regained after 123 years of subjugation. “Our task is to respect and love Poland, so that, following our example, future generations will cherish what is most important in our nation and is preserved in the words ‘God, Honor, Fatherland,'” the priest said.
The next speaker was Consul General Mateusz Sakowicz, who opened his remarks by recalling the tragic events that took place Saturday in Kraków and asked for a minute of silence in honor of the victims killed in the brutal attack by an armed assailant. He also mentioned the heroism of two police officers, Senior Officer Jakub Kulik and Senior Officer Artur Morański, who risked their own lives to prevent more people from being killed. Later in his speech, he recalled the recent 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 108th anniversary of Poland’s regaining statehood. “America would not have had independence without the contribution of Poland and the Polish diaspora, but it also remembered this, lobbying and actively working for Poland to regain independence in 1918. So these ties are lasting, historic and deep, and our shared role is to strengthen, solidify and deepen them every day,” the diplomat said. He also thanked everyone for cultivating the traditions, language, history and Polishness. “Our borders do not end at geographic borders, at the Baltic, or at the Atlantic. Polishness is where we are, where we have it in our hearts, because Poland is one, and may she live on as one,” Mateusz Sakowicz said in closing. Cmdr. Albert Proszowski also spoke. The senior military adviser at the Polish Mission to the U.N., like the consul general, mentioned the two Kraków “heroes in uniform.” He also spoke about heroism in connection with Independence Day. “This is freedom that was fought for and paid for with the blood of our soldiers and people from auxiliary units, who gave their lives so that we could live in an independent Poland. We had more than 120 years of non-existence and statelessness, and they kept fighting. They fought in the country, in the independence uprisings, they fought abroad and under various banners ‘for your freedom and ours,'” Cmdr. Albert Proszowski said. He added that they were able to achieve this thanks to the national accord and unity that accompanied them at the time, despite social and political differences.
The last speaker was SWAP Archivist Dr. Teofil Lachowicz, who also prepared a short film about the contribution of the Polish diaspora to the recovery of independence. “We must keep reminding people how significant the contribution of Poles in America was during World War I, because in Poland this is not noticed,” the historian said. He also noted that nearly 21,000 Polish volunteers went from the United States and Canada to fight for the freedom of Poland as part of the so-called Blue Army. Dr. Teofil Lachowicz also mentioned one of the fathers of Polish independence, the famed pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, whose piece “Hej, Orle Biały” was used in the film that was shown. More important patriotic songs followed in the artistic portion, in which the Angelus choir performed under the direction, and with the piano accompaniment, of Nicholas Kaponyas. The audience heard “Marsz Pierwszej Brygady” (“March of the First Brigade”), “Szara piechota” (“The Gray Infantry”), “Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino” (“Red Poppies on Monte Cassino”), “Kocham cię Polsko” (“I Love You, Poland”), “Rota” and “God Bless America.” The scouts presented a fascinating historical reenactment titled “Dług honoru” (“A Debt of Honor”). Its main idea was to recall the contribution of the American volunteer pilots of the Kościuszko Squadron in the fight for Lwów. It also mentioned Merian Cooper, who recruited his colleagues for the Polish squadron and whose ancestor John Cooper fought alongside Gen. Kazimierz Pułaski. In this way, he and the other American pilots wanted to repay a debt of honor to Poland for the help that the Polish generals Kazimierz Pułaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko gave during America’s War of Independence. It is worth adding that after World War I, Merian Cooper became a famous director and is the creator of the legendary 1933 film “King Kong.” After the scouts’ performance, one of their instructors, Grażyna Mościcka, was honored with the Paderewski Medal. SWAP board members Marek Chrościelewski, Zygmunt Bielski and Jerzy Leśniak presented her with the decoration and a diploma for her contribution to developing and nurturing patriotism among Polish-American youth. The ZHP instructor was very grateful for the distinction. “I thank the veterans, because the Paderewski Medal is a very valuable decoration, which means a lot to me,” Grażyna Mościcka said. Dancers from the Polish American Folk Dance Company also performed during the anniversary ceremony.
Earlier, before the ceremony at the Polish National Home “Warsaw,” a patriotic Mass marking the 108th anniversary of Poland’s regaining independence was celebrated at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Greenpoint.
Text and photos: Wojtek Maślanka
Source: Nowy Dziennik
